Twin laundry tubs

ABSTRACT

TWIN LAUNDRY TUBS ARE MOLDED IN A SINGLE PIECE OF REINFORCED PLASTIC WITH FRONT, BACK, SIDE AND BOTTOM WALLS IN EACH TUB AND THE DIVIDING WALL BETWEEN THE TWO TUBS BEING SOLID AND EXTENDING SUBSTANTIALLY TO THE BOTTOM. THE SIDE WALLS ARE PROVIDED WITH REARWARD EXTENSIONS OR FINS, AND THERE IS AN INTEGRAL MOLDED REAR PIECE AND SPLASH BOARD EXTENDING ACROSS THE BACK. THIS PROVIDES AN OPENING IN WHICH A LIGHTER AND SIMPLIFIED WALL BRACKET CAN BE INSERTED. THE TUBS ARE PROVIDED WITH INTEGRALLY MOLDED HOLES ON THE FOUR CORNERS TO RECEIVE LEGS WHEN THE TUBS ARE TO BE SUPPORTED ON THE FLOOR, THE HOLES BEING PROVIDED WITH SPLINES FITTING WITH GROOVES IN THE LEGS SO THAT THE LATTER ON INSERTION CANNOT TURN AND BECOME LOOSE.

Sept. 20, 1971 KLIMBQFF' ETAL 3,605,456

TWIN LAUNDRY TUBS Filed Feb. 12, 1970 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTO S. MORRIS KL IMB OFF A/V THO/V) BUOIVAURA ATTORNEY Sept. 20, 1971 M. KLIMBOFF lF-TAL 3,605,456

TWIN LAUNDRY 'russ Filed Feb. 12, 1970 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 W. INVENTORs 22 g MORRIS KL/MBOFF Y ANTHONY BUOIVAURA 175.5 g mrmww T TOR/VEY Sept. 20, 1971 Filed Feb. 12. 1970 M. KLIMBOFF ET L TWIN LAUNDRY TUBS 3 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTORS. MORRIS KL/MBOFF ANTHONY BUO/VAURA ATTORNEY United States Patent O 3,605,456 TWIN LAUNDRY TUBS Morris Klimhoflt', Wyoming, and Anthony Buonanra, Greenhills, Ohio, assignors to Formica Corporation, Cincinnati, Ohio Filed Feb. 12, 1970, Ser. No. 10,897 Int. Cl. D06f 1/02 US. Cl. 68-232 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE Twin laundry tubs are molded in a single piece of reinforced plastic with front, back, side and bottom walls in each tub and the dividing wall between the two tubs being solid and extending substantially to the bottom. The side walls are provided with rearward extensions or fins, and there is an integral molded rear piece and splash board extending across the back. This provides an opening in which a lighter and simplified wall bracket can be inserted. The tubs are provided with integrally molded holes on the four corners to receive legs when the tubs are to be supported on the floor, the holes being provided with splines fitting with grooves in the legs so that the latter on insertion cannot turn and become loose.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Molded laundry tubs have been produced in the past and they have also been provided with wall brackets having a shelf on or against which the bottom of the tubs rest. Legs can be attached, but for this purpose metal corner plates have been used, which add to complexity and expense and require special fittings for supporting legs. Wall brackets, when used, are also relatively heavy and complex.

In recent years twin tubs have been molded in one piece and are available on the market. However, the dividing wall between the two tubs is bifurcated at its lower end, which causes considerable problems as this portion is weaker and thinner. A minor further disadvantage is that the space at the bottom of the dividing wall is hard to reach and diflicult to clean. This drawback is less serious than the other features as there is usually a front wall which hides the space, so that in many cases it is unnecessary to keep it clean.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention molds in a single unitary piece of reinforced plastic, twin tubs with a solid dividing wall between the tubs which is stiffer and stronger and provides a very thick wall between the tubs. There is also an integrally molded extension of each side wall to the rear to form a fin and an integrally molded back piece across the whole of the assembly. This permits a simplified form of wall bracket which is lighter and more economical and which can be installed at the factory, so that when twin tubs are ordered for wall hanging this model can be obtained and requires no special skill in hanging, as the brackets do not have to be assembled on the site and are lighter, simpler, and provide greater protection against wracking or twisting of the tubs. In the twin tubs molded previously, metal side pieces to a wall bracket where provided, which are eliminated by the integrally molded fins formed by extension of the side walls.

Another very important feature is that the tubs are provided with molded sockets to receive legs where a model is desired which will be supported on legs on a floor. The molded sockets have front and side walls forming a part of the socket, which is in the nature of a boss on the bottom of the tubs. Stifiening ribs are also preferably molded in. The internal diameter of each socket is provided with mating means for legs, such as metal legs, which when the leg is firmly inserted into place lock it against rotation and any possibility of loosening. The invention is not limited to a particular locking means against rotation, but in a more restricted aspect longitudinal splines are present which mate with slots in the legs which present advantages and are, therefore, the preferred form of locking against rotation of a leg after it has been inserted.

The material of which the twin tubs of the present invention are molded does not greatly differ from compositions which have been used in the past, the molding being referred to as a pre-mix molding as the materials which are molded are premixed before introducing into the mold. The fact that more or less standard materials can be used is an advantage as the invention is not limited to particular special materials.

In general the molded tubs are best made of molded reinforced plastic. A typical pre-mix is of a thermosetting polyester resin with inorganic fillers, such as finely divided limestone, clay and the like, amounting usually to at least about 50% of the weight of the mix. In addition, reinforcing fibers are normally included, such as, for example, glass fibers.

The actual molding operation is not changed by the present invention and, therefore, will not be specifically described as the invention depends on the nature and shape of the article rather than the process by which it is made.

It will be noted that the same form of tubs can be used either for wall hanging or support on legs interchangeably. While for reasons of economy in installation costs wall mounted tubs are furnished with factory inserted brackets of a simplified form, the actual molding of the tubs themselves is the same for either model. This effects cost savings as only a single design of mold is needed for any particular size of tubs.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is an isometric top view;

FIG. 2 is a bottom plan view;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged detail of part of the bottom of the tub shown in FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is an isometric view of one rear corner showing the outside of a rear fin; fi FIG. 5 is a similar view showing the inside of a rear FIG. 6 is an enlarged detail of one of the front leg mounting sockets,

FIG. 7 is a similar view of one of the sockets for a rear leg.

FIG. 8 is an elevation of one leg, and

FIG. 9 is a plan view of the top of the leg.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS FIG. 1 is an isometric view of the twin tubs and laundry tray. One tub is designated 1 and the other 2. Each tub is formed of a front wall 6, side walls 7 and bottom walls. These last can be seen in FIG. 2 and are designated 1A and 2A, respectively. Between the two tubs is a dividing wall 3 and the tubs have a rear wall 8, which can be seen in FIGS. *2, 3, 4, 5 and 7. A unit molded rear top or back piece 10 and splash apron 4 can be seen in FIG. 1. The molding extends around the sides and front walls and is, of course, unitary with them. Soap shelves .1.7 are also provided, and of course holes 18 for the plumbing fixtures, which are not shown as their particular design forms no part of the present invention.

FIG. 3 not only shows the bottom walls 1A and 2A of the two tubs and the dividing wall 3 and rear top but further illustrates two drain holes 5, one for each tub. FIG. 2 also shows molded front leg sockets 11 and rear leg sockets 12. FIG. 3 shows on a larger scale the bottom of the dividing wall 3, which is provided with a groove or channel 13 into which the end of a bracket 14 fits and is held by screws 19. These brackets are provided only in models which are fitted at the factory with the necessary parts for mounting on a wall bracket, as will be described in more detail below. For models which are to be mounted on legs, these members are, of course, eliminated. The molding of the tubs is identical for models to be mounted on legs or to be hung from wall brackets, but for convenience the mounting members in the latter case are attached at the factory.

The side walls 7 extend to the rear in the form of rear fins 9, which can be seen in FIGS. 4 and 5. These figures also illustrate some of the mounting members for wall bracket installations. These members consist of a channel shaped bracket or mounting extension which has a slot 21 along which a fastening member or support 22 can slide. This is best seen in FIG. 5.

The bracket 20 is fastened to the bottom of the tub between the two rear fins 9. It is screwed into the bosses 12 extending into the threaded holes 23. In FIG. 5, of course, the screws do not show.

For hanging on a wall, a wall bracket 17 is fastened to the wall. It has side extensions 25 which slide in along the fins 9, as can be seen in FIG. 5. The wall bracket 17 has an upper lip 26 into which the edge 27 of the tub back 10 can be introduced. In general the tub is hung by first attaching the wall bracket 17 to the wall, then lifting the edge 27 over the lip 26 of the wall bracket and allowing the tub to drop the short distance, which seats the edge 27 on the lip 26. The tubs of course are lined up so that they slide back on the side wings 25 of a wall bracket, being lifted sufficiently so that the edge 27 passes over the lip 26. When the tub is seated, it is held against lateral and other movement by screws 24, which extend into the side pieces 25 of the wall bracket. This is best seen in FIG. 4, although the hole in which the screw 24 is screwed can also be seen in FIG. 5. The fastening 22 is then slid along the slot 21 in the bracket 20 until it is opposite a stud in the wall and is then fastened to it with a suitable lag screw in a conventional manner. If desired, more than one of these fastenings may be provided.

When a model of a tub is furnished for mounting on legs in the floor, the bracket 20 is omitted as are the brackets 14. Four metal legs of a shape shown in FIG. 8 are then introduced into the holes 11 and 12. It will be seen in FIG. 8 that each leg has two portions, an upper portion 28 and a lower portion 29'. In FIG. 8 the scale is much smaller than in FIGS. 6 and 7. The upper end of each leg, which is shown in FIG. 9 in somewhat larger scale, is provided with two slots 30. Each leg is positioned so that the portion 29 extends out somewhat to the side and to the front in the case of the front legs and to the back in the case of the rear legs. When so lined up, the proper slots 30 slide on the splines 16 and prevent turning of the legs once they-have been seated into the leg sockets 11 and 12. The sockets are molded in a unit with the rest of the tubs and carry stiffening and strengthening ribs 15, which are molded in as are the splines 16. The molded-in threaded holes 23 are, of course, empty as these are required only in models for hanging on a wall bracket, as has been described above.

It will be seen that a very strong structure is produced with the solid center dividing wall 3, which has no bifurcation and empty space at its bottom. The integrally molded back piece .10 and the rear fins 9 permit a very simple form of wall bracket 17, and metal side plates on the outside of the tubs, which were normally used for wall hung tubs, are eliminated. This not only reduces the cost but it presents a smooth, uniform tub surface at all points. This surface is just as smooth and just as uniform regardless of whether the tub is of the model hung on a wall bracket or mounted on the four legs as has been described.

The legs with their tops mating with locking members in the leg sockets constitute a design which is of importance and which is, therefore, a part of the invention. However, the materials of the legs and the design of the other parts of the legs do not, as such, form a part of the present invention, and any suitable legs may be used. The illustrations in FIGS. 8 and 9 show hollow metal legs, for example with a non-tarnishing outer coating, such as chrome plating, and such legs are cheap,

light and strong and are preferred; however, the inven- I tion is not limited to the preferred form of legs and any other suitable leg design may be used.

We claim:

1. A unit molded twin laundry tub having a solid divider wall between tubs, a front wall and side walls the bottom of which are in the same plane, and an integrally molded balck piece and splash apron in which the side walls extend rearwardly beyond the tubs to form rearwardly extending fins and produce a space between the fins and under the integrally molded back piece and splash apron, which space receives a wall bracket having substantially flat side portions, said side portions of said wall bracket contacting the insides of the fins, the wall bracket supporting the bottom edge of the back piece, and mounting extensions at the rear corners of the bottom of the tubs and underneath the dividing walls, said extensions being provided with a channel of C-shaped cross section receiving a sliding adjustable support.

2. A twin laundry tubaccording to claim 1 in which additionally the front corners and rear corners of the bottoms of the tubs are provided with sockets in integrally molded bosses adapted to receive legs and provided with means for preventing rotation of each leg after insertion.

3. A twin laundry tub according to claim 2 in which the leg socket bosses are provided with integrally molded stiffening ribs and internally with longitudinal splines capable of mating with slots in each leg and constituting the locking means against turning of each leg after insertion.

References Cited UNlTED STATES PATENTS D. 114,640 5/1939 Morgan 4187X 725,365 4/1903 Reid et a1. 4166X 2,305,866 12/1942 Graf 4-187X 2,330,800 10/ 1943 Dauch 68232 2,341,093 2/1944 Haberstump 4187 2,769,181 11/1956 Miller 4-187 2,818,581 1/1958 Miller 4187 FOREIGN PATENTS 729,126 4/1932 France 4 -187 1,398,051 3/1965 France 4166 1,389,651 1/1-965 France 4187 172,693 10/1952 Austria 4-187 181,047 2/1955 Austria 4187 190,087 6/1964 Sweden 4-187 LAVERNE, D. GEIGER, Primary Examiner D. B. MASSENBERG, Assistant Examiner 

